Fatwa: Should Muslims celebrate New Year?

Fatwa: Should Muslims celebrate New Year? 
It is about building an integrated America. 

A majority of Muslims celebrate New Year’s Eve like a majority of people in every group. However the orthodoxies in most faiths shun the celebrations. They falsely equate it with alcohol and lewdness and simply cannot think beyond their programmed binary mindset of Haram and Halal.

On the other hand, I urge fellow humans not to judge a people by the acts of a few. If you know 100 people closely, 97 of them would be good people and if you knew only those three, then you tend to be prejudiced, not a good thing for you or anyone.

I urge fellow Muslims to think and act, and hold on to the temptations to react. Muslims can become relevant again by going back to the basics and start thinking and questioning every dished out belief. Doesn’t Quran point out repeatedly to read, to think and to see the signs?

In the next two days many a fatwas will be hitting the market, and a “few” – yes absolutely only a few will take pride in amplifying and multiplying them on the net, as though it is an act of purifying Muslims. By the way sticklers to the traditions are a part of every faith group. No one can cast the first stone.

This essay addresses the issue that has kept Muslims in silos, ghettos, clusters or in a tiny pond. The fatwas are indeed a problem but free speech must be valued over everything, free speech is a God-given right from the day Adam was given a choice. Let people believe in whatever they want, but let them not compel others to fall in line with them. You live your life and let others live theirs. Islam strictly prohibits compulsion of any kind against one’s will.

God’s words are universal and are applicable to all aspects of life. We should not pull tricks and discretion on God’s words, then his words would not be universal and truthful.

The word Fatwa is nothing more than an “opinion” in English Language, and here is my opinion about New Year. Muslims should get out and celebrate it with fellow humans.

My knowledge is based on the instructions from Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), who said that it is the responsibility of every individual to read and understand the book, Quran is the only reliable book he has left as guidance. All other books were invented later, we should no doubt seek wisdom but never put them on par with Quran.

Bad Fatwas are the reason for Muslims to remain on side lines. Many of the Fatwas are a cause of ghettoization of Muslims. Do you recall the fatwa of the mufti of Ottoman Empire declaring it Haram to print Quran after the printing press was invented in 1450? That prevented ordinary Muslims from having direct knowledge of the Quran for 400 years, wasn’t it against Prophet’s instructions? There are many such stupid Fatwas that have been obliterated over the years, and a lot more need to go. Reason should take over. If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. If it does not add to building cohesive orderly societies, then it is not Islam.

Muslims should celebrate New Year’s Eve. Allah has created all things for the humans to enjoy, he has laid everything for the man between heaven and earth (Quran 55:10 “And the earth has He spread out for all living beings”) and man should be thankful and celebrate the gift of life and gift of sustenance on every possible occasion including New Year. New Year is a mile stone and should be a day of accountability of one’s action in the past year and correct the course for the next year, we should be grateful for this opportunity. Quran 55:13, ”Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?”

(Please read verses 1 through 16 of chapter 55, Sura Rahman to appreciate the creator and celebrate life.)

God calls himself “Rabbul Aalameen” (creator of universe) and calls the Prophet the Rahmatul Aalameen (source of mercy for universe). Should Muslims restrict themselves or should they be servers of the universe, of all people? Isn’t the role of Muslims to contribute towards peaceful societies and be a part of the society and not apart from it? Shouldn’t Muslims be a mercy to mankind? You cannot do anything if you are not a part of the society.

 The reason Muslims have conflicts with fellow Americans is because they don’t mingle, and most of the relationships are shallow. How would anyone know them? How would people get rid of the myths about Muslims if they don’t get to know them closely in different aspects of life? Of course, every faith or political group has something or the other that holds them from being one with others and they all need to work on knowing each other. Indeed that is the case with most immigrants, one of my Hindu friends says she stopped dating a white guy because there was not much to talk with him.

Ok, you don’t want to go to someone’s house for dinner or go to a party because they drink alcohol or eat pork. That should not be a barrier unless your will power is weak or you are incapable of holding yourselves. (Hindus, Jews, Jains, Buddhists, Bahais. Sikhs and all others have one problem or the other like Muslims, we all need to raise above this to build one integrated nation)

Every human will be an angel if there was no opportunity to do wrong, an average human will resist all the temptations that go against his or her will. There is an unverified story that Buddha would sit nude among naked dancing girls and chose not to be tempted or have an erection, such was his will power. If you have a strong faith you can be anywhere and be with anyone and not get blown away with seductions. It is time to test your own faith.

Let me share an example from a few years ago, our group from Memnosyne Foundation went to Mexico to inaugurate the medicine garden that my philanthropist friend Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk had donated to the Mayan Indians to continue to traditions of shamanic healing. We stayed in an all paid resort near Chichen Itza with unlimited drinks and food at our disposal and every one in our group had a ball. Three of us did not drink Alcohol - Mary Ann, Tanaka (a Shinto Priest) and I. I did not make a big deal about it, nor did I stick religion into it. We just did not drink and had a good time knowing our friends. Of course they knew I was a Muslim and respected me for following my path without anything less about others. When we go to the dinner parties, others eat pork and I don’t, it is my choice. I am a part of the society and not apart from it.

Aren’t Muslims supposed to be peacemakers, harmony establishers, goodwill nurturers and contributors to cohesive societies? How do you do that if you don’t mix with people? How do they know that you are a good human being and not what Fox News had portrayed you to be? It behooves for Muslims to celebrate New Year along with friends. It is the right thing to do and that is how we create secure societies. The more we know about each other, the greater the trust would be.

As believers in universal God and universal prophet, shouldn’t their humanity be universal as well? Isn’t what God clearly says in Quran? Whether you are a Jew, Christian, Muslim or whatever, if you are good to fellow beings (His creation) your reward is with Him. Look it up in Quran, this verse is repeated nearly a dozen times in different formats. If the early Muslims had lived aloof, no one beyond Arabia would have known them. This trend to live in silos began in 1969 and we need to reverse it. Caring for his creation is the highest form of worship and you can care only by being with them.

Let Muslims be a part of the whole, let them be with other people, this is an opportunity to build relationships, and opportunity to let fellow Americans know that Muslims are good human beings. The more we integrate the more we become one with fellow humans, bringing a sense of security to each one of the 322 Million of us; the Americans.

Let the New Year be celebratory. Gather up your neighbors who are not going to parties, bring your own food and drinks and get to know each other as fellow Americans who have a common destiny; safety, security, job, home, children, volunteerism, grand children and retirement in peace.

Muslims must celebrate the New Year in a variety of ways within their comfort zone.

How do you plan your next year? Look for the article on Huffington Post.  

# # #

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America where every American feels secure. Mike Mohamed Ghouse is committed to his life mission of building cohesive work places, communities and nations. He works for an America where everyone of the 322 million Americans feels secure without apprehension or fear of the other.

He leads the Center for Pluralism in research and activism and brings Americans Together on the plane of religious, political, social and cultural pluralism. Pluralism is simply an attitude of respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each one of us.

He is a pluralist, thinker, writer, activist and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, politics, Islam, human rights and foreign policy. He is a news maker, interfaith wedding officiant and a community consultant and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Dr. Ghouse has appeared in over 300 national TV and 700 Radio shows including 125 on Fox News. He has published over 3500 articles on the topics he speaks.

His Google profile has been visited by over 35 million individuals with thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, yahoo groups and personal lists.

He is the founder and CEO of the Center for Pluralism and World Muslim Congress. The bottom line to his work is security- no one should feel insecure about his or her religion, race, ethnicity, or other God-given uniqueness. Each one of us should look forward to retiring in peace and living without apprehensions or fear of the other.

\

Mike's work is at:  www.CenterforPluralism.com, www.WorldMuslimCongress.org, www.InterfaithSpeaker.com and www.MuslimSpeaker.com

Satan Fails Pitting Jews and Christians against Muslims

MARIA ARITA, A RESPONSIBLE REPORTER

The word “Satan” is rarely used in my writings and that is a lot of writings – over 3000 articles! I am using the word Satan today to denote the dormant evil side in each one of us, but remains under control with a majority while messing up a few souls among us.

Those who fall for the Satan make it their business to pit one against the other. They manufacture hoaxes and place wedges between Jews and Muslims, Jews and Christians and invoke nativism. They forget that they were once strangers too. In India, these men place wedges between Hindus and Muslims. They are not happy with what they do, but keep doing it instead of getting out of it. Cohesion is a strong anecdote to division. Occasionally it makes sense to address one or two incidents to bring sanity to the situation.

The two opposite incidents I witnessed today caused me to write this essay.

What a joy it was meeting Rabbi Alana Suskin and Haytham Younis, a Jew and a Muslim who are planning to make short videos about strengthening Jewish-Muslim relationships. It was a reinforcement of the goodness I witnessed a few weeks ago where the Jews and Muslims came together for building a secure America for every American. Jewish Muslim Relationship get a big boost in Washington, DC.

But when I went home and opened the email, I saw an email from a friend who was beholden by the Satan. The evil in us continues to plot one group against the other; it started from the very beginning of mankind and will continue to happen. All we have to do is guard ourselves and not fall in to their trappings.

This man hates Muslims but poses to be a humanist. Most of my friends don’t even want to deal with this man, but I continue to deal with him hoping he would see the light. We can never give up on peace; it is worth the frustration, humiliation and the patience. The article reads “The Mayor of Dorval in Quebec refuses to remove pork from school cafeterias.” In a smart ass letter, that pleases the nativism in the sons of the soil, the Mayor asks the Muslims who demand removal of the pork, why did they come here? He exhorts them to have gone to the 56 other great Muslim Nations? He then admonishes them, “Don’t mess with us, you have to adapt to our ways and not the other way around or go back to where you came from.”

My instant reaction was this cannot be true, and it did turn out to be a hoax.

Way back in 2006 – Maria Arita of Fox News in Dallas called me up and wanted to know what to do with the News items she had just received. “France had banned teaching about Holocaust because French Muslims had demanded it.” I was stunned, here I am, organizing the first Holocaust Memorial event, first time in the world organized by a non-Jew and first time by a Muslim and first time in a non-Jewish space, and I had just fought off Ahmadinejad’s Holocaust denial in Dallas Morning News and thanks to nearly 30 Muslims who wrote to the Morning News that Ahmedinejad does not represent Muslims and his words are not to be taken seriously.

Maria gave me time till the evening to come up with a response. I dropped everything I was doing and called on my Jewish friend Bernie Mayoff and Late Elliott Dlin, the director of Holocaust Museum in Dallas, they found out it was a hoax. Maria thanked me and the item did not make it to the evening news.

Imagine the damage it would have done to the Dallas community? The ignorant among Jews would have bought the story and build up their hatred for Muslims. Likewise the ignorant among Muslims would have believed it was a victory for them. What a shameful thing it would have been for both the communities.

Around the same time, there was another hoax against Iran that they were persecuting Jews, Bahá’ís and Zoroastrians. We wrote petitions and someone found out from Jews living in Tehran that it was not true, it apparently came from a Jewish Member of Parliament in Iran.

Let me state this unequivocally, and most Muslims would agree with me on this. America is a great nation and we have to do everything to keep it that way including assuring the disaffected Americans that they need not worry; and that their culture and their way of life will not change due to immigrants or Muslims. We are all better off in making sure America remains America.

You are who you are and I am who I am; let’s learn to live with each other by respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of us. We should be on the same page and yes, we will make the right calls! We the people, the Muslims, love this country and we will keep it that way.

As American Muslims we uphold, protect, defend and celebrate the values enshrined in our constitution. Our faiths reinforce the idea of one nation with liberty and justice for all.

Let no one place a wedge between any two of us, together we can do a lot of good, against each other we both weaken. When politicians play Satan, they don’t see all of us as God’s children, and feel entitled to more privileges than the other. Hell no, we are all created equal, and the anti-dote to division is for us to come together as Americans more frequently than we have been doing now.

God Bless America!

Mike Ghouse is committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

Pat Robertson’s nasty comment and Muslim Speaker’s response

Mr. Robertson, more than the Muslims, Jesus would be disappointed in you severely. The role of religious leaders is to mitigate conflicts and nurture goodwill, and he called out “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” Leaders invoke civility in the society, so members of the society can live in peace and without apprehension and I urge you to be at least a peace maker, if not the blessed one.

I urge Muslims to follow the Prophet’s formula of mitigating conflicts and nurturing goodwill and not be offended with Mr. Robertson’s comments. Prophet was a mercy to mankind, and it is time for us to collectively follow him and be kind and gentler towards any one who is nasty towards us.

Mr. Roberston, what did you do this morning?

You pit Christian Americans against Muslim Americans? Do you cherish Americans living in tensions? Do you get paid for that, do the dumb and dumber ones donate more money to you? Shame on them to encourage you to be a rascal. If you need money badly to do good things, we can pitch in for you, but don’t invoke the baseness in fellow humans. Please don’t be an embarrassment to Christianity, the man who sacrificed his life should not be misrepresented. I pray for you to become a blessed peace maker and join me in created a safe and secure America for every one of us.

Mr. Robertson, Religion is not the problem!

None of us had a religion before, and each one of us was given guidance to live in peace and harmony with oneself and with others. A majority of the people got that message of religions right, and a few creeps did not, and it is our role to help every one restore peace. Is it not?
But when bad things happen, who do you blame, religion or the creeps?
Let me show you what happens.
When we blame the creeps, what happens? We will hunt them down wherever we can find them, and punish them according to the laws of the land and restore trust in the society, so no one can live in apprehension or tensions. What a relief it is to stop the bad guy!

If you blame the religion on the other hand, what happens? Nothing happens! It is the dumbest thing to blame the religion, is it not?

Religion is not a being, not a thing, not a body, for Christ’s sake, it is an intangible item. You cannot shoot, kick, beat, thrash, hang, kill or bury it. It does not do any good and no problem will be solved except aimless barking.
Problem remains, people will continue to remain apprehensive and fearful of each other. Let’s find solutions to these problems instead of barking at religion.
I have said this on Stuart Varney show, Hannity Show, and given many speeches on the topic and have written it umpteen times. It is down right stupid to blame religion. God willing, I will get on Fox and Friends or any show and start talking about it.

God willing a full article will be written on the topic.
“Today on “The 700 Club,” Pat Robertson said that countries like Belgium and France must respond with “violence” to the “infection” of Muslim immigrants, telling his co-host Terry Meeuwsen that these countries must fight Islam in the same way that a body fights a deadly disease.” Otherwise, “Europe is doomed. Doomed!” he said, before adding: “And we have a president here in America who refuses to name it, refuses to identify it and refuses to give us what’s needed to kill the infection.”

See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pat-robertson-islam-dangerous-infection-must-be-eliminated

Don't Judge me because I am friends with ......

Don’t judge me because I am friends with | TheGhouseDiary.com

You may be anxious to express the same sentiments that I have expressed here, and I hope this note assures you and I for who we are. A majority of us are moderates, meaning individuals who want to get along with others, mind our own business, not judge others until we have the first hand knowledge, respect the otherness of others and wish the very best for others. The moderates believe in the Golden rule, treat others as you want to be treated. Moderates is not a group of people, it is the attitude of individuals, you and I can be a moderate most of the times, all the times and a few times.

You will find me in the company of people who are on the extreme right, left and the center, liberals and conservatives,  progressives and regressives,  religious and atheists, gays and straight, republicans and democrats, communists and capitalists, and enemies and friends.

Mother Teresa is one of my ten mentors, and she had said something to the effect that, "If you want to make peace with those who differ, go talk with them, talking with friends will not change the equation." I strongly believe in it and am driven by it.

Please don’t fall in to the trap of judging me because who I am with, God has blessed me with the wisdom to have strong convictions, but be open to knowledge.  I remain who I am, and you are who you are,  and I will always make an effort to know the other. The more we know about the others, the fewer the conflicts we will have. We have to take the time to understand other’s fears and aspirations to find solutions.

A few people I knew did not want to invite me to speak in their gatherings,  because I was on Sean Hannity show, they did not even hear what I say on the show,  but drew their own conclusions. The other day I posted a picture with Ayaan Hirsi Ali and got some nasty e-mails for being with her. I was surprised even Katrina Lantos of US Human Rights agency is perceived negatively.  Once I defended Pamela Geller's right to speak in London that produced a lot of hate mail. On the other hand, I have vigorously defended CAIR on Hannity and other shows, and the right did not like that either.

A month ago, I was standing with a man who wore a hateful T-shirt against LGBT community, a few people chewed me out for merely standing with him, and of course, I speak out.  A few months ago, I was with a Bicyclist who made from San Francisco to Washington defending the rights of the Unificationist church members who are being persecuted, I was called names for associating with the ministry of Rev. Sung Myung Moon, what do they know about him?   Just a week ago, some one wrote 'ugly' emails for standing up for the rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.  One of these day, if I live on, I will chronicle these incidents. Don't laugh, every groups has men and women who are sadly misinformed. There is one from every faith group from Atheist to Zoroastrians and every one in between, and there is from every race and ethnicity as well.  No one can cast the first stone, Jesus was right!

Some of us will always be searching (consciously and subconsciously) and working to free ourselves from malice and prejudice, indeed,  it is liberating and brings genuine peace of mind.

We held symposiums about the Genocides around the world, as many as we can, the Indians were ticked off because we talked about Sikh Genocide and the Gujarat Massacre which happened in India, but the Pakistanis were happy about it.  When we talked about the Bangladesh Genocides, the Indians were happy as it reflected badly on Pakistan, and when we talked about the harassment of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, a few Muslims were ticked off, and when we talked about the plight of Kashmiri Pundits, there was no appreciation from a few Hindu friends.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had said, standing up for Justice is one of the most important values and the right thing to do,  if you cannot stop it, the least you can do is speak up, the Prophet was right! 

I have stood up with the Jewish community at three Synagogues, Jewish Post, Jewish Schools and Holocaust Museum when Pastor Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church held his hateful rallies in Dallas, and within a few months I stood up with the people of Gaza in a rally in downtown Dallas. Was I against Jews or in support of Jews?  Neither, I was there for the human rights of individuals regardless of who they were.  (Google search for articles and pictures).  Can I stop people from misunderstanding me?  Check out www.HolocaustandGenocides.com  and www.Standingupforothers.com

Do all Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others act that way? Hell no! Only those who have not understood the value the human rights of others act like that.  They have also not outgrown out of the selfishness they are obsessed with. While we talk about the Genocides of one, they scream out loud, what about me without even taking the time to see if they were included or not. Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikh Guru encouraged his men and women to treat the wounded enemies in a war, and if you recall Dr. Sanjay Gupta had treated an Iraqi combatant in the conflict.  

We did a skit in one of the programs where the (actor) son screams 'what about me and my problems?' He continues to whine about being ignored…. Then the father (actor) walks up and slaps him and tells him, I did not teach you to be that selfish to the point of not seeing others difficulties and quit screaming about your own, quit the me-me-and-the-me attitude.  Lord Krishna had said in Bhagvad Gita, finding the truth is your own responsibility, and truth shall set you free. Krishna was right!

I played the son, and it was difficult for me to find anyone to play father or mother and slap the son on the stage. Americans just don't do that, it is our culture. I talked to Rev. Petra Weldes, my sister in spirituality, she said, she would have loved to slap me. Petra, you will get that opportunity, LOL!
   

Our communities and the world would be a better place to live if we value our rights as humans first. Let’s look at each other as fellow beings, which we are, and not look down upon what they eat, drink, wear and believe or how they appear.  

We have crystallized the definition of pluralism to mean, “Respecting the otherness of the others and accepting the uniqueness of each one of us”. Pluralism is nothing but an attitude of live and let live, and it is applicable in every aspect of life including culture, society, religion, politics, gender, food, ethnicity, race and other uniqueness’s.

You are who you are, and I am who I am. As long as we don't mess with each other’s space, sustenance and nurturance, and mind our own business, we all will do well.  If we can learn to respect the otherness of other and accept the God-given uniqueness of each one of the seven billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge. 

Every religion is beautiful and is committed to teach us all to learn to live with each other with least conflicts. A majority of the followers of each religion get that right, a few don't. It is our responsibility to reach them out, the allay their fears about others. The Torah says, don't look down on strangers, for once we were strangers too, indeed Torah is right! 

Pluralism is not a set of rules, it is simply the attitude of live and let live religiously, politically, culturally and socially.  We are committed to building cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of a fellow being.

I am blessed to be a pluralist with zero bias towards my fellow humans, and
 urge you to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You do your part and let others do theirs.  http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

Please don't judge me for who I am with, as I plan to be with every one of God's creation.

Mike Ghouse
Text or Talk at (214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net for his writings at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in. 

Obama's opportunity in Charm City

Doug Burton wrote this piece at the Philo's project. The writings in the blog are all mine, except when some one write about me, it will be included here.  I don't have to agree with Mr. Burton, but he has quoted me and I agree with some of the material.

Mike Ghouse
Courtesy of Philo's project. 

Obama's opportunity in Charm City 
Doug Burton

The president’s upcoming visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore will give him the opportunity to tell us all to take a breath before sounding the alarm about new waves of non-vetted Muslim masses crashing our gates. Expect a legacy statement to showcase American religious freedom, tolerance, pluralism and inclusiveness to audiences overseas.

Hopefully this visit will be more than a photo-op guaranteed to underscore the politically correct myth that Islamism isn’t Islam and that the religion of Islam has no causal link to terrorism. Americans know this plank is a nonsequiter: the Obama Administration says that no terrorists are Muslims, whereas virtually all Jihadi terrorists say they are Muslims.

Perhaps conservatives can give Muslim believers a break here. True, many American imams will not acknowledge that the Islamic State, Al-Qaeda or any form of violent Jihadism is Islam. But anguish could be hear in one imam’s voice as he spoke up during an interview to say, “Let me stop you right there. ISIS has nothing to do with Islam, which is a religion of peace – only peace. That’s like saying the crusaders who raped, murdered or tortured Muslims for centuries were really Christians.” While his constraint on language is his hapless dilemma, it reminds us that in the hearts of the vast majority of devout practitioners, Islam is a divine encounter, leading to a higher plane of compassion, self-transformation, lawfulness and justice.

More importantly, on Feb. 3, President Barack Obama has an opportunity to educate Americans about the great potential of American Muslims in the war of ideas within the Islamic world. As many an analyst has pointed out, Islam as a civilization has had neither a renaissance nor enlightenment, and is due. Fundamentalist Islam rooted in the Arabian Peninsula is actually at war with modernity. We aren’t dealing with “a clash of civilizations” as much as a crisis within one civilization – Islam.

American Muslims could make a big difference because they are different. The fact is, Islam has contextualized in North America’s democratic environment. Just as Christianity adapted to new cultures and ethical traditions as it moved from ancient Israel to Greece, to Rome to the heart of German Europe, and finally to North America, so has Islam.

The Muslims who murdered their colleagues in San Bernardino were in America, but notof it. American Muslims are inured to modernity: well educated and rooted in America. By one count, 5 percent of America’s doctors are Muslims, and many have served in the armed forces. Muslims are voters and public servants. At least two American Muslims serve in Congress. A week after the Paris attacks, the American Muslim Institution held an anti-ISIS protest on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. After the San Bernardino massacre, several Islamic societies held a candlelight vigil and memorial service at the Islamic Center of Silver Springs.

American Muslims who are passionate about Islam flourishing under the protection of a secular government have champions such as Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser M.D., the founder and president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and the author of “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith.” Jasser currently serves as a commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

As Dr. Michael Ghouse, executive director of American Muslim Institution, said, “America is unquestionably the land of the free and the brave. The American Muslims love it, and once here, have unmoored Islam from its cultural chains. Yet American Muslims have retained the true spirit of Islam; a beautiful system devised to restore sanity and common sense in a given society through simple basics like being truthful, trustworthy, standing up for justice, humility and kindness as their life style.”

Dr. Walid Phares, an advisor to members of Congress and the author of “The War of Ideas,” said, “The problem in President Obama’s approach to diffuse the so-called Islamophobia is that his administration marginalizes the groups within the Muslim community that promote liberal views and anti-jihadi activities, while the more Islamist factions close to the Muslim Brotherhood have been elevated by the White House to the status of sole representatives of the community.

“Like any other community, the Muslim American community is not monolithic,” Phares argued. “American Muslims include the more fundamentalist and the more secular. To fight the ideology of the Jihadi terrorists, you need NGOs who would respond to the latter’s ideology not cover up for it.”

He went on to point out that, as seen in both Egypt and Tunisia, for example, the silent majority is strongly opposed to the Islamists. “But the advisors of the Obama Administration may have convinced the president of the opposite. Hence the repetitive failures of Washington in the campaign against the extremists. For the Islamists won’t challenge the jihadists – only secular Muslims will. Obama should have asked Zuhdi Jasser and his reformers to walk with him to that mosque. That would have created balance and neutralized Islamophobia among Americans.”

Muslim American patriots will be sitting in the pews Wednesday, yet it’s not clear yet if a president looking for opportunity will see America’s best assets looking back at him.

What is Islam?

Islam is a beautiful system, like all other faiths devised to restore sanity and common sense in a given society through simple basics like building trust, being truthful, be a security to fellow beings, stand up for justice, practice non-judgementalism,  jettison arrogance and adopt humility, and kindness. 

These are the seven principles of building cohesive societies

where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other,  indeed that is the foundation of Islam and a few Muslim have forgotten it. We have to restore it now for building a cohesive world, where people live their lives and let others live theirs. 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) laid that foundation, and those seven principles made him an Amin, an individual who lives his life per those principles.  Unfortunately, a few have made Islam to be a political system, which it is not. Indeed, sadly all religions have become political systems of you or me, rather than spiritual system of we are in this together.

Preparing a talk on the subject.

Mike Ghouse
www.MuslimSpeaker.com
www.InterfaithSpeaker.com

 

Moderate Muslim Speaker

email to: SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com or text to (214) 325-1916

Kashmir and its Governance

Kashmir and Governance | www.TheGhouseDiary.com

No nation should be formed on the basis of religion anymore.  We have seen the ugly results of it, and any nation that is formed now should be democratic in governance, where all people's rights are protected.

There should never be an Islamic, Christian, Hindu or Jewish state, as religion is practiced by humans, and they may not live up to its highest principles. I would rather have a bad democracy over a theocracy, in a democracy we have a chance of correcting the course, and peacefully replacing the corrupt guys with good guys,  you cannot do that in a theocracy. Then the question is whose theocracy will it be?  

Shia, Ahmadiyya, Hindu, Christian and Sikh minorities live in apprehension in Pakistan, and in Bangladesh, you can add the Buddhist Minorities who are equally harassed.  The current but short-lived Hindutva wave in India is also causing apprehensions among Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and other minorities. 

 The authentic Islam that respects the otherness of others, honors dignity of every human, and believes in living your own life and letting others live theirs is part of the individual Muslim psyche, but it has not reached in governance of many a Muslim nations. As a Muslim, I invite fellow Muslims to stand against the brand of Islam practiced in Pakistan,  Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan and.... others. There is no respect for other traditions within Islam in these nations, let alone others.  They claim to follow Islam, but they don't.

Islam is my religion and I love it, most of us want it to remain a personal guidance to continue to make us good humans and good citizens with no political ambitions to rule others, but to serve others as fellow beings.  The idea of ruling others in the name of a religion, corrupts that religion, any religion for that matter.

God honors caring people over religious people who do not care, caring is emphasized here. There are numerous examples - if someone gives water to a thirsty cat, God is willing to forgive his or her shortcomings, and such is the value places on caring for others.  God loves the man who shares his food with hungry fellow being, even if that person has committed sin over a guy who prays all day long. God only knows what is in your heart and you are reminded not to judge other people's faith.  God says in Quran, whether you are Jewish, Christian or Pagan, if you take care of fellow humans, he or she need not worry, as he would earn God’s grace.  Similar thoughts are in Hinduism, Christianity and other faiths – do the followers of all faiths follow their religion to the full? Then, why do we need a religion in governance?

An Independent Kashmir is not good for Kashmiris, Indians or Pakistanis. The extremists loaded with guns will swallow it and terrorize everyone, but most certainly Muslims for not following their brand of Islam. They will be coming from around the world to establish a false Islamic Caliphate in the likes of Islamic state, where they rape women, make them slaves and sell them, completely against the principles of Islam.

Islamic Caliphate should be consistently discouraged, what we need is democracies, which is Islamic in nature, you elect your representative who is trustworthy, but there will be a contest with other trust worthy individuals. That is how it was done during the first four Caliphs of Islam, and after that it was always run by  dictators and kings and together they have messed up what Islam is all about to suit their whims, Islam is a system designed for individuals to create cohesive societies where no human has to live in fear of the other with justice, mercy and equality to all.

Kashmir and Kashmiris are better off with a Pluralistic India, where they can choose who governs them freely. You can fix the problems in a democracy, but not in a theocracy.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, terrorism, human rights, India, Israel-Palestine and foreign policy. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Visit him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and a bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com and several blogs listed there in.

Decimating ISIS and its ideology - Mike Ghouse on Hannity Show.

Washington, DC, December 29, 2015 -- Mike Ghouse made the points on the Hannity Show on Fox News with Rich Lowery and Brigitte Gabrielle, Sean Hannity was off.

Here is the link:

The expanded version of "How to decimate ISIS and its Ideology" is submitted to a news paper for publication, upon publication, the link will be provided here.
 
Mike Ghouse, 

(214) 325-1916

Washington, DC 

 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,  politics, human rights, and foreign policy.  Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

Fox News, Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney and a bold statement from a Moderate Muslim

FOX NEWS AND MIKE GHOUSE | www.TheGhouseDiary.com

A bold statement from a moderate Muslim. 

I appeal to my fellow Muslim Americans to reconsider their stance towards Sean Hannity and Stuart Varney, it does not mean they have to love them, but  simply means they don’t have to dislike them, and consider their point of view.

I've been with Sean Hannity on Fox News in over 110 shows in six years, and innumerable times on his syndicated radio show. He did not rid me because I differed with him, however, I have agreed with him on many occasions including his plan about creating safe zones for Syrian refugees, a brilliant plan that preserves their dignity to live on their own land. 

I could have easily taken the Zuhdi Jasser and Tarek Fatah path to bash Muslims, creating an impression that they are the defenders of America and others are not.  That is non-sense, all of us are very patriotic Americans, and none of us will stand anyone messing with our freedoms and our way of life, the American way. We do have our proportionate percent of bad guys among us, like 1 in 355 mass murderers this year, and we are proud to be the first ones to turn those traitors in.

A few conservatives will be appeased by their (Jasser -Fatah) stance on issues, and give them a lift for taking that road, but in the long run, it's not good for America. Not only have they alienated fellow moderate Muslims, but have become fringe and ineffective. They can bash Muslims all they want, but to row the boat to safe waters, they need to be in the boat. 

Our efforts should be to build a cohesive America where no one has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.

 

Contrary to Muslim misunderstanding that Stuart Varney and Sean Hannity are Islamophobes, they are not. Indeed, they are genuine critics of Radicals who are maligning our faith. 

Had it not been for their persistent call, the call from Hannity and Varney and a few others,   we would not have woken up to see our real enemies- radicals among us, the Muslims. 

 

Thanks to Stuart Varney for promising me not to use the phrase Muslim Terrorist, thus making a clear distinction that together, we are against radicals and not Muslims.  

Hannity has made that point clear many times, he had also said that to honor me, his only Muslim friend at that time (Jasser came in late) he will not use the phrase radical Muslims or radical Islam, and instead use radicals among Muslims or radicals in Islam... He has kept up his word 50/50 on this. 

I appeal to my fellow Muslims to watch them, they are not against Muslims, they are with us, Americans against the radicals. 

I'm blessed to resonate with the voices of millions of moderate Muslims. Indeed, 12 million have visited my google Profile, and the support continues to grow. Thanks  to Stuart and Sean, as Muslim Americans we are committed to safety and security of every American. 

We will agree and vehemently disagree on our approach, but our intent and effort is for a safe America.  We are in this together and we will announce major initiatives on Hannity and Varney shows. Watch us, and thanks for many for seeing us with clarity.

God bless America 

Mike Ghouse, 

(214) 325-1916

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, newsmaker and a professional speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam,   politics, human rights, and foreign policy.  Mike is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

Summit of Muslim Leaders in Silver Springs

Silver Spring, MD, December 16, 2015 – When there is despair, there is always that hope, thank God, the good people reached out to the apprehensive one’s to assure them that they are with them, and will stand by them.

 That is precisely what the Montgomery County Executives did, they called the Muslim leaders and Imams of the county to listen to their concerns and assure their support. It was organized by Imam Faizul Khan of Islamic Society of the Washington Area in Silver Springs, MD.  You can feel the genuineness of each one of the council members, police chief, school board members and other public servants and the county executive. That sentiment was   reciprocated with sincere expression of gratitude by the Muslims present there.

Each one of the officials spoke from their heart, they care about fellow citizens and this gathering was to advance that sense of community, and imbue the sense of belonging to each other, and they were very successful. God bless them.

There are several ways of mitigating the conflicts and nurturing goodwill. I am pleased to share mine.

First a quote from a friend, "Each and every step towards a unifying goal is the key. And a meaningful engagement between polarized mindsets is the only way to begin bridging the gaps and wide divides that separate us from peace and unified action for humanitarian and environmental health and well being."

Last night I was watching the Presidential debate at the press club, and behind me was a group watching.  When Lindsey Graham spoke eloquently about blaming the individuals and not the faith, which is my mantra, I clapped, and they booed.  One of the ladies and her husband beckoned me to join them, and told me they were conservatives and asked about me, I said I am a moderate.  I introduced myself and gave them my card that read, American Muslim Institution. They asked me about Sharia and I gave them a short talk on the topic.

What followed after that was an interesting but a familiar conversation, Deja vu!   It appears that most of the conservatives have memorized certain things about Muslims, and they reel it off.  I don’t get offended, instead I listen to them patiently and share my perspective.  I am sure you have had that experience, with patience, people will learn to respect you, and gradually see your point of view as a courtesy. Melody is a conservative Radio talk show host; and she wants to get me on her show in North Carolina.  I hope a few more will see another point of view, shame on us, we have let them carry the age old narrative forward, we need to do our part in sharing our narrative.  There is no joy greater than living without conflicts with fellow beings.

Amidst the concerns, issues and the gloom, there is hope.  We have to move from estrangement to engagement and things will change. Stuart Varney at Fox News promised not to use the phrase Muslim Terrorist three weeks ago on his show with me, and Sean Hannity is at least softer and clearer about what he is against, and that is the result of positive engagement.  Last night Lindsey Graham spoke up, and there are way too many good people than the fringe element. Look at these people from the County and School board, they gave hope, and they represent American values of acceptance, they are our models and heroes.

 I am short on time with so much going, so I will yield to the lady sitting next to me, who writes for Muslim Matters, when she files the report, I will share that with all.

This is precisely what God wants – for his creation to sit together and demystify the myths about each other and restore the equilibrium.  Quran (49:13) says the best ones among you are those who learn about each other; indeed, when we learn about each other, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Thanks to Sayed Naved for printing and distributing the flier of our “Season of Peace” event and thanks to Rev. Casey Kaseman for announcing it. I had the opportunity to announce it as well during my turn.  Thanks to Amjad Humayun for inviting me to the event.

My job became much easier, we have tentatively found Indonesian, Arab, and Subcontinent groups to sing Nasheeds (poetry appreciating Prophet Muhammad (pbub), and if the African American group can confirm, that would be a significant progress.  Rev. Casey Kaseman and Samia Haque will find a Mormon and a Catholic group to sing Christmas Carols, we need two more, I can find one from the Unification Church or the Unitarian Church and the search will be for an Evangelical group.  We also found Hijabi girls to sing National Anthem (This is a different report).

Please join us for the event, this is a God-given opportunity this year to further strengthen our bonds on the auspicious occasion of the birth celebrations of Jesus Christ and Prophet Muhammad on 25th and 24th of December respectively. God loves each one of us and showers his blessings each time we make an effort to restore the harmony and cohesiveness of his creation; life and environment.These are the signs of good tidings; offering a new hope and a new beginning for the mankind. Together Christians and Muslims make up nearly half of the world population and it is our duty to do our share of work in restoring harmony and peace on earth for each one of the Seven billion of us. We are all in this together.

Kindly share this link to register for the event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/merry-christmas-milad-mubarak-tickets-20040393356

Thank you, 

Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916
Executive Director
www.AmericanMuslimInstitution.org 
A proactive voice for American Muslims
110 Maryland Av, NE, Suite 508
Washington, DC 20002-5606 

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer, news maker, and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, India, Israel-PalestineTerrorism and foreign policy. Over 3000 Articles have been published on the subjects. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and bulk of his writings are at TheGhousediary.com